“There was a once-a-month screening of ‘The Room’ in Vancouver, so I went there and it was incredible,” Franco said before the world premiere of “The Disaster Artist” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday.

“People were throwing spoons, they were throwing footballs, people were wearing tuxes, they had all these lines that they were yelling back at the screen and it was just awesome.

“It was actually the first night I met Greg Sestero, the other actor in ‘The Room,’ and we started the conversation about making this movie.”

“The Disaster Artist” received a standing ovation when it first screened as a work in progress at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March.

“There were a lot of great reviews coming out of South by Southwest and it was really moving,” said Franco.

“Because even though at the centre of this film is this really bad movie, I put so much of myself into this. When we were making it, I found it very personal. We shot at locations that I had hung out at when I was a struggling actor coming up in L.A., and just their story of trying to make it, I can relate to. I’m sure tons of people will relate to it.